Muscle Memory
by StoryTeller935
Summary: SPOILERS! If you haven't read the Lost Hero, don't read this. How does Percy get his memory back? "I was melting at her touch, which was fine with me. I prayed to the gods to never let this end, never let this feeling stop"  I Don't Own Any Characters.


She stood on the opposite of the Argos II with the Greeks, and all I wanted to do was be closer to her. Since the day the Greeks showed up at camp there had been nothing but tension and a very fragile truce between us and them. I had risen through the ranks, being a son of Poseidon, I mean Neptune, helped a lot, so it was up to me and the Greeks' leader, Jason, to make sure everyone got along.

From the second that blonde-haired girl stepped off the ship we were now sailing on now, I had every intention of getting along. I had never seen her before, at least I don't think I have. Amnesia kind of muddles things. Still, from the moment she looked at me I was hooked. An invisible line from my chest tied me to her, I could practically feel where she was at all times. Occasionally, I even caught her looking at me, but as soon she sees me looking she turns away, head down, eyes closed. I've been through some weird stuff before, but this tops it.

"Just look at them," Reyna jutted her chin towards the Greeks. "You would think we weren't headed into a serious battle." I moved my eyes from the quiet blonde, Annabeth she had said her name was, to the rest of the Greeks, laughing and dancing. A couple of them even looked like they had played a prank on one of the others. It looked like fun, something the Romans did not indulge in unless they won a battle.

"Aww, take it easy Reyna. They aren't so bad once you get to know them," Jason Grace said heading toward them. Apparently, Jason had been the leader of the Romans, until he switched for some reason. Reyna looked at him with disdain and a little sadness before turning to strike up a conversation with Hazel and Bobby.

"Percy, mind if we talk?" Jason asked me pointing to the neutral center of Argos II.  
"Okay," I replied slowly. Just because we had a truce with these guys didn't mean there possibilities of attack. I checked to make sure my pen was safely in my pocket; it was.

"Listen, I wanted to know if anymore of your memories are coming back," Jason asked leaning against the side. We were on the same side as Annabeth who continued to stare out at the ocean. It took me a second to regain my thoughts.

"Uh, not really. Some flashes, a lot of pain," I said. Images of a lightning bolt, a bunch of hippie looking centaurs, a massive junkyard, a weird dark maze, and the empire state building all jumbled into an unknown past. And of course there was that one memory, one I wouldn't tell to anyone from camp. I was in an underwater bubble with Annabeth. She was smiling and her shinning grey eyes looked calmly into mine. We were laughing as we kissed, almost couldn't continue because of the damn never-ending smiles. Her lips were so soft, every brush sent shockwaves through my body.

That was the first thing I had remembered when I had seen her several days ago, supposedly for the first time. Now it was one of my most prominent memories, but one that came with a heavy cost. Every time I imagined being with her, reliving that moment, waves of pain erupted behind my eyes. Most days the pain was worth it.

"It gets better don't worry. Juno will give 'em back," Jason tried to console him.

"Yeah well it'd be nice if she'd hurry up. I don't want to do this whole thing without knowing who I am. You didn't remember till you finished a quest right?" I asked. I was jealous. Why did he get his memories back when I still had to bumble through the dark?

"It might help if you had something to jog your memory," Jason suggested, glancing over his shoulder.

"Didn't Hera take my memories? Nothing to jog," I said.

"She didn't take all of them. And besides, didn't you say that you still remembered stuff, like muscle memory or something?" Jason pointed out.

It's true. I would have been toast at the Roman camp if it hadn't been for my muscle memory reflexes, only way I seemed to be able to fight even though my head had no idea what was going on.

"Yeah, well what do you mean? What did you have in mind?" I asked.

"Why don't you go to talk to Annabeth. Daughter of Minerva, she's pretty clever. She could probably help you out." Jason smiled slyly and walked off. A girl with dark, odd-length hair, but stunningly beautiful met him with a curious glance. He shrugged and they walked off.

Talk to Annabeth, right. Somehow I had a feeling this wouldn't be as easy as that. I drummed up every ounce of demi-god courage, and walked over to her, losing a little more nerve with each step.

"Hey," I said. Her eyes widened and for a second I wasn't sure if she was going to run or pummel me. Her shoulders straightened and face turned into a mask, I couldn't guess what she was thinking. Something told me I never really could.

"Hey," she replied nonchalant. I closed my eyes briefly at the sound of her voice. It was so familiar.

"Um listen…I…" A piece of her curly hair whipped in front of her face. Before I could stop myself, my hand reached up of its own accord and brushed it behind her ear where it stayed. This felt so natural, as if I had done it a thousand times. She didn't look like she hated the contact either, leaning into my hand briefly, before pulling it away.

"Thanks, Percy. What's up?" Her voice was tense with layers of confidence and nerves. But I didn't really hear what she asked.

The ship rocked a little harder and Annabeth slid a closer to me. She braced herself against my shoulder, her automatically reaching for my hand. The pain was starting; dull with a promise to grow worse. I couldn't move, I didn't want to. She was worth the pain.

"Annabeth, I'm sorry," was all I could say. Confusion covered her face before my other hand reached up and pulled her to me.

Her lips were just as soft as I remembered, but not as aggressive. She didn't move at first, whether shocked or pained I wasn't sure, but I had already started this, it was best to see it through. The kiss was gentle, tentative, as if we were meeting for the first time. Then it changed, she responded urgently wrapping her arms around my neck, pulling me closer to her body. Who was I to object. She was warm and soft, my hands took great pleasure in roaming her back, and I held her close as if she were made of glass. I wouldn't drop her, no harm would come to her because it would have to go through me. Gods and monsters be damned, because this girl was everything.

One hand slid to the back of her waist, pulling ever closer. My other rose to her cheek, slipping into her golden hair. My mind was too stunned, to blissful to really give my body orders, it was an auto-pilot. _Auto-pilot is good, _I managed to form the thought as her fingers wove themselves into my hair, one hand still at the back of my neck keeping me close; as if I would move away from this goddess. I was melting at her touch, which was fine with me. I prayed to the gods to never let this end, never let this feeling stop. The force and passion between us rose until it completely took our breath away, breaking away only for damned air. We leaned against each other's foreheads, eyes closed, breathing ragged.

"I swear to the gods, seaweed brain. When you get your memory back I'm going to…" she didn't finish the threat, but her tone was light. I doubted she would go through with it.

"Sorry, wise girl. Couldn't help myself." I said. Wait, wise girl?

"What did you say?" She looked with hope dangerously fluttering back at me.

"I…ahhhh!" I collapsed as the most intense pain split my skull.

"Percy! Medic!" She yelled. I held onto her voice. Through the dark and the pain I held onto to her words, the voice of the girl I loved. Like a demented slideshow, my life slid in front of me at Pegasus speed. Mom, Tyson, Grover, Camp Half-Blood, all the quests. And of course, most prominent was Annabeth. Her yelling at me, criticizing my plans, knocking my blade out of my hand with a triumphant smile, kissing her on the beach.

"Annabeth, I'm alright. Really," I said weakly. I doubt I was believable, but I really wanted the shouting to stop. I looked up to find both camps standing over us and more than one sword drawn. "It's fine guys, no harm done. Stand down." Amazingly, both groups listened, though they looked uneasy.

"Percy, do you…"Annabeth held my head between her hands, she filled my vision.

"Sorry I left you, Wise Girl. Wasn't my plan." I explained with a small smile. Though I was sure no amount of smiling would stop the beating I was going to get for disappearing, even if it wasn't my fault.

"Don't you ever, EVER, do that to me again," She said and promptly kissed me, it was even sweeter than our first. I caressed her cheek, experiencing the feel of her all over again. Her touch was my ambrosia, and for the first time since waking up in the Roman Camp, I felt alive, I knew who I was.


End file.
